Prophet Elias the Tishbite
“But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.” (2 Thess.2:13-15)

Beloved in Christ,

I pray that this greeting finds each of you full of the joy of the Holy Spirit and refreshed by the many liturgical opportunities afforded to us as faithful and obedient children of our Mother, Christ’s Holy Church.

By now you have very likely learned that Denise and I have requested from His Eminence, GERASIMOS, and have been granted a release from the pastorate of St. George GOC here in Prescott to be reassigned to another parish within the Metropolis. And in order to thwart the mechanisms of the evil one who tirelessly strives to sow discord within the ekklesia, I want to dispel any inaccuracies before they occur.

Our brief tenure here in Prescott has been a blessed time of refreshment and growth as we have seen the parish transformed into a breathtaking and resplendent house of worship truly worthy of our Orthodox traditions which teach us always to give only our very best to God. We have seen our essential ties to our blessed Hierarch strengthened and have been made more fully aware of the many grace-filled national ministries of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North America. And I believe the parish is poised to continue her upward journey as she matures under the leadership of the next devoted servant of Christ assigned to lead her.

However, the precise needs of the Hill family warrant that we return to a larger metropolitan area with the amenities available to us there. My work in the Archdiocese and Metropolis and the reality that our grown children are widely dispersed across the US and Europe also necessitate convenient access to the airport. And so His Eminence, always concerned foremost about the well-being of the parishes of his God-protected Metropolis, has reluctantly agreed to my release from the parish and is already doing the necessary to assign a new priest so that no lapse in pastoral care occurs!

Denise and I are grateful for the friendships we have enjoyed making here and commend you always to the arch-pastoral care of your spiritual father, GERASIMOS; by whose prayers St. George GOC of Prescott can move confidently into the future Christ has ordained for you!

In Christ,

+ Apostolos Hill

Rev. Economos Apostolos Hill

St. George GOC of Prescott